RobRaynerBB's Last Stand

[quote]RobRaynerBB said:
What I am, what I’ve done, what I’m doing, what I’ll become.

For those of you who know, I’ve been around the place for quite sometime. In my time here at T-Nation, I have learnt a lot. So much in fact that after finishing my business degree, I said fuck it to the work world, and changed career paths to go into exercise and sports science. I’m in my second year and I’ve learnt a lot so far. I hope to become a personal trainer later and maybe become a dietician or an exercise physiologist.

Cool story, bro?!

I’ve also been interested in bodybuilding since I was 18, I’m now 23, but have never had the courage to say goodbye to my old ways and hello to new ones. I also have an interest in powerlifting, not because of ego, but because I love lifting heavy (its all relative haha) and pushing my body in the gym. The thing is, whilst out of the gym I don’t make progress, I continue a shitty diet, continue to take progress photos and step on the scales every now and time after time I’m met with the same, or worse person staring back at me. I’ve gone from some skinny prick, to a skinny-fat guy, to NOW becoming more of a fat guy.

Again… cool story, right?!

WRONG.

Its basically the story of my life and its not working for me, my girlfriend and I don’t wish laziness and lack of motivation on anyone.

So here it is.

My pledge.

“I RobRaynerBB, do solemnly swear that if I do not fully commit to becoming a bodybuilder from this day forward I will never come back to T-Nation again.”

  • Signed, RobRaynerBB

** PLEASE. AT THE END OF YEAR I WANT A CALL OUT. **

My name is in my username, so this not only affects my ‘internet cred’ but me as a person in real life. I plan on a career in the industry so if I can’t do this. What chance do I have?! So… There you have it. My story, my pledge. Got it? Good. Now where the fuck is the gym?!

NOTES:

  • change never happened
  • change is happening
  • change has happened
  • winning?!
    [/quote]
    I think too much.

This log will contain:

  • my workouts
  • my weight
  • progress photos
  • measurements

Thats it. No diet. No goals. No self-reflecting bullshit I’ve come to be known for.

This thread is partly in reaction to this:

[quote]NIguy wrote:
I’m not sure what the protocol for this is, but it seems that are several people in T-cell who post an awful lot but don’t seem to do much in the way of lifting.

Personally I am in favor of a cull, streamlining the numbers and restoring the health of its population - if that means I have to go so be it, I wanna feel like I deserve to be posting here.

All those in favor say ‘I’.

[/quote]

[quote]Maiden3.16 wrote:
RobRaynerBb, BruceLeeFan…[/quote]

Partly in reaction to:
My friend saying, “Rob, when are you going to stop fucking around and just get big. I mean, I’m not being rude but seriously”.

Partly in reaction to this:

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:

[quote]sam_sneed wrote:

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:

[quote]pro-a-ggression wrote:
190lbs in March 2010… hopefully 220lbs leaner in March 2011. Cos that would have been 60lbs in bodyweight in 2 years.[/quote]

Just caught this… Did you hit the goal or what?[/quote]

Skip to the last few posts of his training log for the answer:

http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/blog_sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_log/from_average_to_inhuman_part_1?id=4379860&pageNo=1

[/quote]

Seems like another dude who needs to give it up.
[/quote]

And partly in reaction to:
Myself. Looking in the mirror and not being happy with what looks back and who you’ve become should be a person’s number one reality check?! You see yourself everyday, why not work towards being proud to look in the mirror and saying “Fuck yeah I did, thats what Ive become and its all because of the hard work I put in and noone else”. That. Noone can take away from you.

Current poundages:
Squat
5RM - 80KG
[b]1RM/b - 90KG

Sumo deadlift
[b]5RM/b - 85KG
1RM - 100KG

Shoulder Press
5RM - 60KG
[b]1RM/b - 70KG

Bench Press
5RM - 95KG
1RM - 105KG

  1. As long as you keep progressing it’s all worth it. Better each day in your diet, in your training, in your sacrifices.
  2. Be accountable to yourself, don’t let people’s opinions phase you, it happens, just move forward from it.

Consider a personal trainer or an online personal trainer to help your development. I think it really helps to get focused. A good trainer will help fix your diet and look at your training. Think of it as an investment and not an expense. If you’re not performing out of the gym (which is 22 hours in the day) then a trainer might help keep you in check. But ultimately it comes back to you.

If you don’t become a bodybuilder what does that really mean? Is it the end of the world? Of course not. You’ve got to keep working at it. That doesn’t mean to forget your goals, it means keep re-assessing them and have the clarity to chose your goals wisely.

[quote]XanderBuilt wrote:

  1. As long as you keep progressing it’s all worth it. Better each day in your diet, in your training, in your sacrifices.
  2. Be accountable to yourself, don’t let people’s opinions phase you, it happens, just move forward from it.
    [/quote]
    Totally agree and something that definitely need to begin taking to heart rather than just saying. Small adjustments to my day is whats needed. Just last week I didnt have soft drink or fast food for a week, then i had a 4 day binge where I ate fast food every day and had 2L of coke a day. NOT GOOD.

Definitely need to work on adjusting to changes/obstacles, and not just giving up and returning to my old ways.

Though a trainer would be useful for keeping me on track, I agree with it falls back on me. Ive never used a trainer not because I dont like information, but call me ignorant but want to do this on my own, to prove to noone but myself that I DID IT, and I BECAME THIS BECAUSE OF ME.

I really do want to become a bodybuilder and as stupid as it sounds, I believe I can, no, WILL BE.
Geez, now people think I’m delirious. Oh well.

Rob, I’m working with Shelby Starnes now and it’s one of the best decisions I made with my progress. He just helped simplify things so that I could focus on other areas of my life. Diet/Training were occupying my mind so much that it caused a lot of stress. Try to eliminate the stress at every option. Just a thought.

Make small changes everyday. Switch to Diet Coke for example. You’ll see a change.

Measure your macros accurately, make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

Measure your weight and body measurements weekly, everything should be going up and down in the right direction (waist down, arms up, legs up, etc).

Everything you do should be towards your goal. The fun run is fun but how does it help your long term BB goal? 12km is FAR! I’ve never run more than 10km, haha.

Try and find a way to watch every local comp in Australia for BB, meet current and past bodybuilders, the more active you are here, the stronger your link in the community and the better informed you’ll be on how to get to your goal.

I can’t see anything wrong with your training program, work on your diet the next 3 months and you’ll see major dividends. Diet makes the hard hours in the gym worth it.

I’d recommend reading some of Lyle Macdonald’s articles on his site, they are really brilliant. Especially the ones related to psychology of dieting etc. It will open your mind to nutrition as well.

With your diet, fix your protein and fat levels and calculate the balance carbs based on your calorific needs. Ultimately if you’re trying to gain or cut it’s all about the calories and macros.

Read through some of the threads of the better lifters on this site. I read them sometimes to get inspired again - in no particular order - C_C, H4M, Dave_, FattyFat, MODOK, Waylander, PX, Alpha, Synergy93, Kingbeef, Austin. The training logs of bugeisha, ebomb and chi town’s finest are well worth it.

Work on your meal preparation, chicken and eggs are easy to make and prepare on the go, whey powder for emergencies, never miss a meal. The only reason to do fast food? It has to make sense in your diet, when you know specifically the macros that each meal offers you.

I guarantee once your diet is on song you’ll hurtle towards your goals!

PS - new timely article from Shelby :slight_smile: - 5 Surprising Reasons You Blew Your Diet

Good advice man, thank you.

Hurt my neck.

How did you hurt your neck?

Its always on overhead pressing, around c7, t1. Today, was doing seated shoulder press after putting a seat in a squat rack and getting underneath and leaning back and pressing. Seat was on a slight incline. But it wasnt till i had to chuck it forward to rack it was when i felt a pain.

The first time a ever hurt it was DB press a year ago, twisted a little to get the last rep and heard a cracking sound. Couldnt move my neck. Went to the doc, said ice it and would go away. It did. But every now and again, when i get back to OH pressing, it can sometimes happen again.

Maybe ill just stick to hammer strength shoulder press for shoulders. Really annoying cos i wanted to get into bodybuilding/powerlifting at somepoint, and although not necessary for powerlifting/bodybuilding, OH pressing is considered a staple for big shoulders. and getting strong.

Perhaps some shoulder mobility and/or postural problems are the cause. =)

I turned 24 yesterday, and was meant to begin my diet, but as usual nothing goes according to plan. I got annoyed at myself for not keeping to a diet, being prepared i.e. preparing all my meals prior etc. I’m currently in the middle of exam study week and am behind on that too. So currently I’m not feeling the best. I do some something towards my gym/physique goals then stress about study and do that, getting ready for exams and then forget to eat. Its a continuous cycle and its getting me nowhere.

As previously written, I’ve attained a neck/spinal injury in my cervical vertebrae, its turned out to be not too serious but am getting physio work and have been three times and will be back there on Friday for some more massage/stretching etc. Its probably about 70% of what its meant to be in terms of flexibility and the pain has subsided greatly.

So that’s the situation.

I’m thinking at the moment I will just be posting my workouts here when they’re done, my weight each week and my measurements, once a month. I’m going to keep this log here for my tnationites to see my weight/lifts progress, and will throw up my progress pics as I gain some size. I think what I’m realising is that although I’d love to have this awesome log that everyone follows and thats perfect with regards to layout/humour/progress haha, its not happening and basically before any of that happens, I must put in the hard work. I also think I have such big dreams for myself that I dont make enough progress in fear of failure. I brush it under the rug like nothing happened and “begin” again. Life doesnt work that way. I think that these dreams have also made me feel as though I should be something, without putting in the effort. Sort of like a singer on american idol, that cant sing but hasnt put in the effort to learn how.

So “starting” from here (again, but for the last time), im going to write my workouts and progression in terms of weight/muscle/fat/look. And thats it.

No diet, no awesome interesting posts, no unbelievably exciting information, just a bloke, from OZ, trying to find himself and make just one of those dreams, a reality. I’m human. We’d all like to think we can reset and begin again, but it just go like that.

I do perform workouts HAHA, here’s one I did on my birthday (7/6/11), I did a real strict arm workout, due to my neck, focusing on really getting a good contraction of the muscle. And today… my arms are fucking sore.

All in kgs or # on stack.

Tricep pushdowns 12x#5 12x#6 10x#7
Alternate db curls 12x10 12x12.5 10x15
Skullcrushers 12x20 12x25 8x30
Incline db curls 12x7.5 10x10 8x10 8x10
Smith CGBP 12x60 10x80 6x80 8x60 6x60
Seated machine preacher curls 12x#5 8x#6 6x#7 4x#7

Again, it was a real good workout.

Squats from Tue 24/5/11

Nothing to report, though I will say, my neck is still sore. Couldnt move from bed yesterday and was on some pretty heavy painkillers to sleep/be pain free. Still uncomfortable and leaning forward a little (protection mechanism?) so yeah, dont know what to do.

Suggestions who to see? Chiro? Physio? Scans?

Random thoughts #1
When you find yourself in a position where everything is against you… for example [1]my spine’s fucked [2]im in full on study mode [3]i cant get my diet right because of the study…

You have two options, curl up and diet OR persevere however you can…

So the most important thing is to eat enough, and train hard. So I went back to the gym today, had a hard work out, strict form, light weight, 12 reps per set on each exercise but it felt real good. I’m setting a goal of 100kgs by the end of December, how I get there noone knows. But i will get there.

Yesterday (7/6)

2 eggs, multigrain toast, bacon, tomato, onion, mushrooms
1tspn coffee, sweetener, milk
Whey (p 45g), WMS (c 30g)
400ml milk, Whey (p 45g), 2tbsp macadamia nut oil, 5g creatine
Chinese food - rice, noodles and shitloads of meat
Glass of red, can of coke zero
Coffee w/sweetener, milk, glass of whole milk

Tricep Pushdowns 12x#5 #6 8x#7
Alternate DB Curls 12x10 12.5 10x15
Tricep Extensions 12x20 25, 10x30
Incline DB Curls 12x7.5 8x10 6x10 6x10
Smith CGBP 12x60 8x80 6x80 10x60 8x60
Machine Preacher Curls 12x#5 8x#6 6x#7 6x#7

Restricted workout due to my neck, i kept the form tight and my arms are fucking wrecked right now. Life’s getting better fucker, life’s what you make it.

My arms feel like that they’ve just been run over. A good run over. Although I kept the weights slow, controlled, relatively light to what Ive done before, my arms are absolutely obliterated.

No gym today, but I did go to the physio. He said I probably should keep the gym sessions to a minimum. But, I think I can still perform movements, with strict form and get a good pump/stimulus in my muscles, without hurting my neck further. Im continuing with exercises he gave me for my neck and will persever.

My diet definitely won’t be well though out over the next two weeks until I finish exams. I’m trying to accept that things don’t go perfectly the way you want them to and accepting that, Im sure, will put me further ahead.

Conistent intake of protein, simple carbs around my workouts, caloric surplus and good form will make me grow. Nothing special going on here…

Today (8/6)
2 tspn coffee, milk, 4 sugars hahahaha!!
5 eggs, half cup of ham, tomatoes, cheese
2 wholemeal toast
Glass of milk
Double Whopper

Relaxed 7/6/11

24 years old, 88.7kgs, 184cm.


Flexed 7/6/11

24 years old, 88.7kgs, 184cm.